29 August, Thimphu: The 6th Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) General Assembly begins today with a conference on ‘Food Security’. The AFACI is an inter-governmental and multilateral cooperation body that aims to improve food production and promote sustainable agriculture in Asian countries through knowledge and technology transfer and sharing.
In order to realize AFACI’s goals, it conducts, manages, funds, and coordinates multilateral projects, international trainings, program workshops, and symposia. The AFACI Secretariat is based at the International Technology Cooperation Center (ITCC), Rural Development Administration in Jeonju, Korea.
The AFACI General assembly will be conducted for three days. The first day is a workshop on food security, the second day will be opening ceremony and plenary session of the General Assembly and on the third day the participants will have a field visit.
The 6th AFACI general Assembly is happening in a hybrid mode. Around 24 officials from 10 member countries are attending physically and 17 officials joining virtually.
Currently, AFACI is composed of 14 member-countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea. This year, the 6th General assembly will endorse Uzbekistan as a new AFACI member country.
Similarly, the General Assembly will also endorse few new projects proposals. At present, AFACI is implementing around five projects to solve agricultural common issues in Asia such as climate change, food security etc.
-PPD
